By EMS1 Staff
BENNINGTON, Vt. — A Vermont paramedic supervisor was killed on Monday after his ambulance collided with a pick-up truck and spun into a tree.
Dale R. Long, 48, a member of the Vermont Emergency Medical Services community for nearly 25 years, was transporting a patient along Vermont Route 9 to the hospital at the time of the accident. The patient, who is reported to have sustained serious injuries, was airlifted from the scene to Albany Medical Center.
A Bennington Rescue Squad colleague and a paramedic student were also in the ambulance but were not seriously injured. The cause of the collision is being investigated.
The community has shown an outpouring of support since the death, according to Bill Hathaway, executive director of Bennington Rescue Squad.
“Dale’s death is a profound loss for Bennington Rescue,” Hathaway said. “We have been contacted by many EMS and public safety groups from around Vermont and New England, and the network of friends and colleagues who are reaching out to express their sympathies has been remarkable.”
Long was the 1998 Vermont EMS Advanced Rescuer of the Year and had recently been honored as Bennington Rescue Squad’s member of the year and a “Star of Life” by the American Ambulance Association. In addition to Bennington Rescue Squad, he had also served over the years with other squads in EMS District 10 and 12.